On the occasion of International Museum Day, celebrated annually on 18 May, UNESCO joins the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and museum professionals around the world in recognising the essential role museums play as spaces of dialogue, education, cultural continuity, and peacebuilding.
This year’s theme, “Museums Uniting a Divided World”, resonates profoundly in Sudan, where war and displacement have placed the country’s cultural heritage under unprecedented threat. Since the outbreak of conflict in 2023, more than twenty museums across Sudan have been looted or damaged, with thousands of artefacts stolen, destroyed, or trafficked. Institutions that once safeguarded the shared history of Nubian, Kushite, Islamic, and African civilisations have themselves become victims of violence and erasure.
In his message marking International Museum Day, Khaled El-Enany, UNESCO Director General, emphasised that museums are “not separate from society, but spaces where communities can reflect on themselves, engage across differences, and imagine shared horizons.” He reaffirmed UNESCO’s commitment to supporting museum rehabilitation, safeguarding collections, facilitating the restitution of cultural property, and combating the illicit trafficking of cultural goods.
“At a time when Sudan’s cultural heritage faces immense danger, protecting museums is not only about preserving artefacts but also about safeguarding memory, identity, and the foundations of future reconciliation. Museums remain powerful symbols of unity and resilience for the Sudanese people,” said Junaid Sorosh-Wali, UNESCO Representative to Sudan and Head of Office.
UNESCO Response to Sudanese Museums Impacted by War
Since the outbreak of war in Sudan in 2023, UNESCO has mobilized emergency interventions through the Heritage Emergency Fund to protect museums and safeguard the country’s cultural heritage under extremely challenging conditions. In coordination with the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), UNESCO conducted comprehensive damage and risk assessments of five priority museums: Kerma, Gebel Barkal, Red Sea, El Damer, and Sennar enabling urgent protection measures and guiding emergency stabilization efforts. The initiative also led to the creation of digital inventories and databases documenting 1,737 artefacts, significantly strengthening protection against illicit trafficking and loss. In addition, collections from El Damer Museum were securely packed and relocated to Kerma Museum for safer storage. UNESCO’s response has also addressed the severe crisis at the Sudan National Museum, which has suffered extensive looting and damage, with more than 4,000 artefacts reported by NCAM stolen. Key achievements include training 40 personnel with the National Mine Action Centre in rubble clearance and explosive hazard removal, restoring safe access to museum sites. UNESCO further supported structural assessments, provided IT equipment for documenting missing collections, and trained museum professionals in emergency conservation and handling.
Ongoing support through the Heritage Emergency Fund includes rehabilitation of the museum’s annex storage facility, digitization and inventory of surviving collections, conservation of priority artefacts, and reinforcement of storage and shelving systems to secure long-term protection of recovered heritage.
At the same time, UNESCO has intensified nationwide efforts to prevent the illicit trafficking of Sudanese cultural objects through specialized training programmes benefiting 500 heritage professionals, customs officials, judiciary representatives, law enforcement officers, and security personnel. These programmes strengthen capacities to identify trafficked artefacts, improve documentation and border control procedures, apply international legal frameworks, and enhance inter-agency cooperation for the recovery of stolen heritage.
The UNESCO Sudan Office gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Italian Government, channelled through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), for the rehabilitation of the Sudan National Museum project. Our thanks are also extended to the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund, which enabled the first comprehensive assessment of the war’s devastating impact on museums across Sudan, laying the groundwork for urgent recovery and safeguarding efforts.
read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/international-museum-day-2026?hub=701
